Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, Director-General, National Council
for Arts and Culture, has cautioned Nigerians to be careful of joining the
‘japa’ (run, flee or escape’) wave in search of a better life, saying many who
did are struggling to return.
Runsewe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in
Abuja that the trend had led to the disintegration of families and many
marriages collapsing.
According to him, bankers and lecturers have joined the
list, adding that there is a need for those who desire to migrate to other
countries to plan well to avoid becoming a nuisance.
He said ‘japa syndrome’ should not be celebrated, saying
many people who had done so were regretful and would not tell their families
the truth.
Runsewe said Nigeria would be great again, calling on
everyone to keep hope alive and believe that better days are ahead.
“Japa is an unfortunate thing that is not in our culture, if
you recollect in the 90s, Andrew checking out, that is the japa we are having
today. When Andrew was checking out, it was for a different reason, but there
is a new thing to it now.
“They are all coming back home, yes, I will give you an
analysis to it now. The japa syndrome is an unfortunate thing, it started with
doctors, not too long ago, we see lecturers, and now bankers have joined.
“A lot of them sold their houses, properties to ‘japa’, only
for them to get to their destinations and realise that the japa is not in their
interest.
“If you have 5,000 dollars now in Nigeria, multiply it by
748 Naira, if you have 5000 pounds in London today, you are going to pay tax,
electricity, gas, insurance, don’t forget that when you are abroad everything
will have to be insured.
“Many of their relatives and friends do not tell them the
reality. They take pictures in beautiful places to deceive, they sell their
houses, cars and get them to realise that it’s not always rosy.
“The rate at which you can save money in Nigeria is about 80
per cent, the rate at which you can save money abroad is less than 10 per cent,
for every good you eat over there, cars driven, you pay tax, a lot of people
misunderstood Japa, thinking it’s a dollar to a dollar.
“Up till this morning, many people in London, Canada,
Germany are begging to come back home, most people are not aware of this, they
are just saying ‘I want to leave”.
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